Protective eye mask



Dec. 27, 1955 g TAYLOR 2,728,078

PROTECTIVE EYE MASK Filed Dec. 15, 1952 INVENTOR. CARL J. TAYLOR United States Patent Ofiice 2,728,078 Patented Dec. 27, 1955 1 2,728,078 PROTECTIVE EYE MASK Carl J. Taylor, Portland, Oreg. Application December 15, 1952, Serial No. 325,998 3 Claims. (Cl. 2-14) This invention relates to improvements in protective eye masks and has for one of its principal objects the provision of an article of this character which may be inexpensively produced out of blank material by simple stamping, scoring and folding operations.

Another object is the provision of a mask which will seal off the areas surrounding the eyes of a wearer against sunlight or other light glare but yet provide unobstructed forward vision.

Another object is the provision of a mask which, due to the flexibility of its structural elements will readily accommodate itself to various head sizes.

A still further object resides in t e particular design of the mask which enables it to be cut out or removed from the front, rear, top, and side walls of a box in which the mask may be outlined by lines of perforations.

These and other objects will appear as my invention is more fully hereinafter described in the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

in the rawing:

Figure l is a top plan view of the mask in blank form after being scored and stamped from a piece of blank material such as cardboard or the like.

gure Z is a perspective view of the mask in com- Figure 3 is a perspective View of a cardboard box provided with perforations in its front, rear, top and side walls outlining a modified form of the mask.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the invention in either form applied to the head of a wearer.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing:

The blank shown in Figure 1 comprises a front panel 1 defined by horizontal fold lines 2 and 3 and vertical fold lines 4 and 5.

The front panel is formed with extensions 6 and 7 to provide what might be termed temple flaps which are foldable about the lines 4 and for positioning against the sides of the face of the wearer. The mask is held in place by an elastic head-band or the like indicated at 8 (see Fig. 4) secured to the ends of the flaps by means of apertures 9 formed therein, or the ends of the cord may be provided with sharpened bendable clasps for attachment to the flaps where desired.

The panel 1 is also formed with extensions 10 and 11 to form top and bottom walls, respectively, foldable about the lines 2 and 3, respectively, into positions at right angles to the panel. The top wall and the top of the panel 1 are cut inwardly as at 12 and 13, respectively, to conform to the forehead of a wearer. The bottom wall and the lower portion of the panel 1 are cut inwardly as at 14 and 15, respectively, to embrace the face of the wearer below his eyes and also the bridge of the nose.

For locking the top and bottom walls in positions at right angles to the panel 1, as aforesaid, I extend both walls to form tabs 1617 and 1819, respectively. The tabs 16 and 17 are formed with locking tongues 20 and 21 adapted for locking engagement with similar tongues 22 and 23 formed on the ends of the tabs 18 and 19 respectively. When the top and bottom walls 10 and 11 are bent along the fold lines 2 and 3 into right angular positions to the panel 1 the tabs l617 and 18l9, are bent inwardly along extensions 24 and 25 of the fold lines 4 and 5, respectively, into positions at right angles to the panel 1 and substantially in alignment with each other so that their respective tongues may be united in locked engagement with each other as shown in Figure 2.

The front panel is provided with two horizontal axially aligned slits 26 and 27 to provide sight openings. If it is desired to increase the range of vision the slits may be extended into the temple flaps as indicated at 28 in Figure 4.

The masks may be compactly stacked for storage and shipping in fiat form as shown in Figure 1 and quickly and conveniently folded into completed form as aforesaid.

in Figure 3 l have illustrated a box or carton whose front, rear, top, and side walls are inscribed with guide lines or with lines of perforations by means of which the mask in its completed form may be cut or torn away from the carton. The top of the box provides the front panel 1A, the front and rear walls of the box provide, respectively, the top wall 16A of the mask and the bottom wall thereof (not shown), and the side walls of the box provide the temple flaps one of which is indicated at 7A. 1* he guide lines or perforations extend into opposite sides of the top of the box to provide for the forehead and nose-fitting portions 13A and 15A, respectively. The sight openings are formed by cutting out those portions of the top of the box defined by guide lines or perforations 26A and 27A. 7

Instead of forming the mask from a cut and scored blank or cutting it out of the top and adjacent walls of a carton it is to be understood that the mask could be made by a moulding process wherein all of its parts are of single thickness and moulded integrally with each other.

While I have shown particular forms of embodiment of my invention, i am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A protective eye mask comprising a front wall defined by horizontal and vertical fold lines, said front wall having extensions foldabie about said horizontal fold lines to form top and bottom wall portions, said front wall having lateral extensions foldable about said vertical fold lines, both ends of said top and bottom wall portions provided with tabs extending therefrom and adapted to interlock with one another to f rm end walls, and aligned elongated slits formed in said front wall.

2. A protective eye mask comprising a front wall defined by horizontal and vertical fold lines, said front Wall fold lines, both ends of said top and bottom wall portions provided with tabs extending therefrom and adapted to interlock to form end walls, and aligned elongated slits formed in said front wall and extending into said end walls and said lateral extensions of the front wall.

3. A carton made of relatively stiff sheet material, such as cardboard or the like, and having top, bottom, front, rear and side walls, said front and rear walls having perforations therein or a score line forming an outline for top and bottom horizontal wall portions of a protective eye mask having a front wall provided by the top wall of the carton, said outline extending entirely across said side walls of the carton to define temple plates fiat throughout their length and adapted to embrace the sides of the face of a wearer upon removing from the carton the mask forming material defined by said outline, and said front wall of the mask having perforations or score lines outlining two aligned sltis to provide sight openings upon removal of the carton material defined by said outlines.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

